HAMILTON, Ohio — The West Side Little League All-Stars made history by getting all the way to the Little League World Series championship game. Now community members are welcoming them back home.
It’s a heroes return for the West Side Little League All-Stars from Hamilton.
History was made along with countless memories as well. Head coach Ken Coomer said it’s amazing to see this warm welcome from the community.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Coomer said. “You know when you have 12-year-old boys get support from not just the city or the Tri-State but the whole state of Ohio.”
First baseman Cooper Oden said the trip was a dream come true and being welcomed home like this is the icing on the cake.
“It feels pretty good now, knowing all the support that we’ve had through this entire journey,” Oden said.
Hamilton fell 5-2 in the final to Michigan.
But that didn’t make anyone in Ohio less proud of what they were able to accomplish.
Cooper Oden’s mom, Tricia Oden, said the team is still on cloud nine.
“The goal that they set from when they were 8 years old was to get to Williamsport,” she said. “Not only did it but then made it to the championship game. None of us have wrapped our heads around it yet.”
With most players signing autographs for their fans, it’s easy to see they’ve inspired many across the state.
Star pitcher J.J. Vogel said the team wanted to prove they belong.
“No one thought that we would win state,” Vogel said. “No one thought we would qualify for the World Series, and win regionals, even get to regionals. And then going that far in Williamsport just proved everybody wrong.”
As they did so many times in the tourney, they brought the crowd together for one more “O-H-I-O” chant.
They made lasting memories with their community.
“I’m never going to forget this,” Vogel said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And not a lot of kids get to do it. So, I mean I’ll never forget this and I’ll tell my kids about it one day. It’ll be really cool.”
More celebrations are planned for the team this week.
There will be a parade at 7 p.m. on Thursday that will run from their home field through downtown Hamilton to Marcum Park.
